STPDN expels three in wake of student's violent death

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Jakarta

The Public Administration Institute (STPDN) in Sumedang, West Java, expelled three students on Friday for their alleged key roles in the killing of a fellow student, while his parents vowed to sue the school.

The three students, all in their 3rd year -- Yayan Sofyan, Dadang Hadi Surya and Hendi Setiadi -- were accused of being responsible for the death of Wahyu Hidayat on Tuesday night.

The dismissals were announced by STPDN director Soetrisno to more than 2,000 students as well as officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which runs the institute.

Security was tight during the announcement. Journalists were prevented by other students from covering the event.

Ivansyah Dunda, a photographer for Tempo magazine, and a Trans TV reporter Wawan Kurniawan were attacked by students as they tried to make their way into the venue.

The three students in question were also dismissed from their jobs as civil servants and required to return their monthly salaries of Rp 580,000 (US$69) received since August 2001.

On top of that, they must each repay Rp 4.8 million in education allowance paid by the state.

All STPDN students serve as civil servants who are paid Rp 580,000 each per month. They work at government offices across the country after finishing their studies.

The institute also imposed disciplinary sanctions on 23 other students allegedly involved in the deadly initiation ritual which included physical torture. Thirteen of them were downgraded to lower semesters and the integrity records of the remaining 10 were lowered.

All 26 students were also named as suspects in the hazing incident by the Sumedang police, who are currently holding them in detention for further investigation.

The police said they would exhume Wahyu's body on Saturday for a thorough autopsy.

Also, the STPDN was now questioning 24 other students for their possible involvement in the case.

Separately, Wahyu's father Syarif Hidayatullah said on Friday that his family could not accept the death of their son and would file a lawsuit against the STPDN for its failure to protect him.

Syarif, from Sentul village, Bogor, West Java, said doctors, who treated Wahyu, and STPDN administrators refused to disclose the exact cause of death.

He said he received Rp 5 million from the institute and Rp 4 million from an official claiming to represent West Java Governor Danny Setiawan, when Wahyu's body arrived home on Wednesday. The governor also has close to STPDN as he is graduate.

"The governor's staffers told me that for STPDN's 'good name', it would be better for us to remain quiet. But my son's senseless death cannot be compensated by their filthy money. I will continue to seek justice for my son," Syarif said through his tears.

Wahyu, 20, died after apparently being beaten by older students at the institute, which has a reputation for imposing military-style discipline on its students.

Sumedang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yoyok Subagyo said on Thursday that the preliminary investigation confirmed that the victim had died from injuries suffered during the bullying tactics.

An STPDN student, who requested anonymity, said senior students had decided to teach Wahyu a "lesson" as they considered him disloyal for not showing up at patriotic functions.

The victim was subjected to bullying and beating for three hours in an open area east of the institute's sports hall starting at 11 p.m. on Tuesday night, the unnamed student said.

Another student said Wahyu was being "punished" by the older students for failing to attend an annual meeting with the West Java governor two weeks ago.

The meeting was deemed important by the older STPDN students, who usually use the forum to ask for "pocket money" from the governor on top of the Rp 5 million (US$595) allowance allocated by the West Java provincial budget for each of the students from the province.

However in Jakarta, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno claimed Wahyu was beaten to death because he failed show patriotism when he missed a flag-hoisting ceremony to observe the Aug. 17 Independence Day.

"The seniors, also from West Java, were angry because of his action and decided to take such a disciplinary measure against him," Hari asserted.

The home minister did, however, call for a thorough investigation into general student brutality.